ka lok is the solo electronic project of Regina-based multi-instrumentalist and producer, Dalton Lam. Born from a desire to reconnect with identity and sound, the project serves as a sonic exploration of heritage, belonging, and self-acceptance.

Before the creation of ka lok, Dalton established himself as a versatile collaborator, recording and touring extensively across Canada with Bears in Hazenmore, Wolf Willow, Megan Nash, and The Steves, and Germany with the Peace Flag Ensemble.

Lunar New Year, February 17th, 2026 marks the release of ka lok’s debut album, Opium Boy. The title is a direct reclamation of the racially charged nickname he carried during his high school years in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. At the time, ka lok accepted the name as a social currency, a method of survival, a way to fit into a predominantly white environment as a Chinese person, even though it compromised his own values. At its core, this project explores the erosion of self that comes from a desperate need to belong, and the slow, deliberate work of reclaiming what was traded away.

This journey of reclamation is mirrored in the non-conforming sound of Opium Boy. Within is a landscape of unrelenting synths, wailing brass, and haunting vocals, all anchored by a sea of tectonic low-ends. Listening is akin to standing atop a massive, sinister being shifting beneath the Earth’s crust. In Opium Boy, ka lok explores the visceral friction between pleasing others and isolation, the seeming necessity of suffering, and the beauty found in learning to let go.

Saskatchewan Talent is presented by SaskMusic.